The signing happened while I was still in heavy travel mode just before Christmas, so I didn't get around to posting about it then. But he was enough of a contributor while he was here that he deserves some recognition in his sendoff - and the Falcons team page didn't bother even to include it on their transactions page, let alone a news story. So I guess it's up to me. Here goes... Timmy Horne was an undrafted rookie free agent nose tackle out of Kansas State in 2022. He played well in training camp. The team's cap woes meant they couldn't sign significant free agents. Then they had a wave of injuries plus a surprise retirement, and Horne ended up making the back end of the roster. A month into the season, the team released starting NT Anthony Rush, and Horne ended up starting 5 games and playing all 17. Adding David Onyemata and others during the offseason made it more of a challenge for Horne to stick around this year, but he won a practice squad spot coming out of training camp. To me this was an ideal situation - he was getting the reps in practice that he needed for his development while more experienced players took the starting roles. He did get called up in two games via standard practice squad elevations. He played in one of those games, notching four assists and a batted pass. Of course, keeping him on the practice squad means he's a free agent, and on December 22 the Giants took advantage of the opportunity to sign him away. New York's web site lists him at 323 pounds, which is exactly how Atlanta had him listed - and it was his weight at his pro day workout. I'm guessing there has been some copy-and-paste along the way. His photo on the Giants site also appears to be the same photo from his old Falcons bio, except with the blue shirt edited in. He hasn't been in a game yet for New York, and of course he'll have to go through the same roster battles with them as he did here in Atlanta. All the same, best of luck to the big man. He provided depth when we needed it in 2022, and he should still have some significant upside potential. Thanks Timmy, and we'll miss you in the A-T-L.
